In an intensive campaign during June, Gwent police breath-tested no less than 20,772 motorists, of whom a mere 124, or 0.6%, gave positive results. One hopes the 20,648 innocent motorists who had the finger of suspicion pointed at them felt that their time had not been wasted and they had not in any sense been subject to police harassment.
Surely statistics like this underline the point that drink-driving is something that requires a targeted response rather than the mass intimidation of the law-abiding.
And it is interesting that the report says “most of the 20,722 people who took the breath test in the force area did so on a voluntary basis” – in other words, the police had no legal powers to insist on a test, but of course to refuse a “voluntary” test might well have adverse consequences.
Because of course the innocent have nothing to fear, do they?
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Mass intimidation of the law abiding sums it up.
ReplyDeleteSee what Gwent police also get up to:
ReplyDeletehttp://rydercupnewport.blogspot.com/2009/06/gwent-police-log-saturday-27th-june.html
'Voluntary' is a bit of a euphemism for co-operate and we won't look at tyre tread, faulty lights et al me thinks!
ReplyDelete